Job 29:7-25
English Standard Version
7 When I went out to (A)the gate of the city,
when I prepared my seat in the square,
8 the young men saw me and withdrew,
and the aged rose and stood;
9 the princes refrained from talking
and (B)laid their hand on their mouth;
10 the voice of the nobles was hushed,
and their (C)tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
11 When the ear heard, it called me blessed,
and when the eye saw, it approved,
12 because I (D)delivered the poor who cried for help,
and the fatherless who had none to help him.
13 (E)The blessing of him who was (F)about to perish came upon me,
and I caused (G)the widow's heart to sing for joy.
14 I (H)put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
my justice was like a robe and (I)a turban.
15 I was (J)eyes to the blind
and feet to the lame.
16 I was a father to the needy,
and I searched out (K)the cause of him whom I did not know.
17 I (L)broke (M)the fangs of the unrighteous
and made him drop his prey from his teeth.
18 (N)Then I thought, ‘I shall die in my (O)nest,
and I shall multiply my days as (P)the sand,
19 my (Q)roots spread out to (R)the waters,
with the dew all night on my (S)branches,
20 my glory fresh with me,
and my (T)bow ever (U)new in my hand.’
21 “Men listened to me and waited
and kept silence for my counsel.
22 After I spoke they did not speak again,
and my word (V)dropped upon them.
23 They waited for me as for the rain,
and they (W)opened their mouths as for the (X)spring rain.
24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence,
and (Y)the light of my (Z)face they did not cast down.
25 I chose their way and sat as chief,
and I lived like (AA)a king among his troops,
like one who comforts mourners.
Job 29:7-25
International Standard Version
Job Remembers His Respected Position
7 “Whenever I went out to the city gate,
a seat had been reserved for me in the plaza.[a]
8 The young men would see me and withdraw,
and the aged would rise and stand.
9 Nobles would refrain from speaking,
covering their mouths with their hands.
10 The voices of the commanders-in-chief[b] were hushed,
and their tongues would cling to the roofs of their mouths.”
Job Remembers His Acts of Kindness
11 “When people heard me speak, they blessed me;
when people saw me, they approved me,
12 because I delivered the poor who were crying for help,
along with orphans who had no one to help them.
13 Those who were about to die blessed me,
and I made widows sing for joy.
14 I put on righteousness like clothing;
my just decisions were like a robe and a turban.
15 I served as eyes for the blind
and feet for the lame.
16 I was a father to the needy;
I diligently inquired into the case of those I didn’t know.
17 I broke the fangs of the wicked,
and made him drop the prey.”
Job Remembers His Previous Condition
18 “I used to say: ‘I will die in my home.[c]
I’m going to live as many days
as there are grains of sand on the shore.[d]
19 My roots have spread out and have found water,
and dew settles at night on my branches.
20 My glory renews for me
and my bow is as good as new in my hand.’
21 “They listened and waited for me,
as they remained in silence for my counsel.
22 After I spoke, they had nothing to say,
when what I said hit them.
23 They waited for me as one waits for rain,
as one opens his mouth to drink in a spring rain shower.
24 I smiled at them when they had no confidence,
and no one could discourage me.
25 I set an example of the way to live,[e] as a leader would;
I lived like a king among his army;
like one who comforts mourners.”
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
